Chapter One
January
Take a look around the cafeteria, do you see me yet? No? Look in the corner, I'm pretty noticeable. Pale mint-green coat, two-toned mint/silver mane, unicorn horn, I am sure that I don't fit the criteria of '100% human.'
My name's Wintergreen, but my sister and friend call me Minty. See, my mother was the first one to come over to Earth through a portal she had jury-rigged. She met my dad, and they fell in love, more simple than it sounds. I was their only child for two years, then my sister came along. Now I live with my sister and mother after another move .
Now, I know what you're thinking, how would that even work? I don't know the answer, genetically or in any other manner. But, it somehow resulted in my being approximately eighty percent unicorn and the rest human. That's right, I can do magic, no Starswirl the Bearded level spells, but still rather impressive.
Enough about my life, I'm going to introduce you to my sister. Her name is Jennifer, though her usual nicknames include Jen or Jenny. She's the only one that's mostly human in the house, the only sign of her being of Equestrian parentage is the pale aquamarine streak in her normally brown hair. We had both been born Equestrian foals, but she had differed into a more human-like form. 'Adverse effects of Equestrian magic' is the only answer presented.
Snap back to the present, the friend mentioned earlier. His name is Luke, and he and I have been friends for years now. We had met at the beginning of school a few years back and befriended each other immediately. Something about him made us click on a level no other friend had before.
My snout almost touching my sandwich snaps me back to life.
Luke looks over and cracks a joke, "Nice of you to join the waking world Minty."
Playfully punching him in the shoulder, I levitate my lunchbox up to the table to antagonize him. Any magic would normally creep anybody out- especially Luke.
He looks at the strap wrapped in a blue ethereal glow and blinks, "You know I'll never be able to get used to that, even after knowing you for as long as I have."
Smirking, I look at the clock on the wall. Our lunch break is almost over, time to get ahead of the floods. On cue, the bell rings and our trio breaks up to go to their respective classes. Jenny walks off with a smile and a 'see you later' to Luke as the two of us walk to the high school hallways.
I wave to him as I walk off to my last classes of the day. Turning right at the intersection, I see the normal cliques clumped in their respective positions. As I walk past I hear the usual mutterings of 'there's the furry's dream' and other discriminatory-isms. I've stopped caring about them at this point, but something causes me to pause mid-stride. My ears flick towards the source as anger flares.
"Isn't he the one with that work horse of a mother?" The voice says with whispered impudence.
I may not care about the comments when directed at me, but nobody gives my friends or family shit and gets away with it.
Whirling around, I scan the crowds.
"Who's feeling a little adventurous with their insults today?" I question.
The groups back away as I continue, "Just raise your hand, whoever you are, and I'll leave this be."
A lack of hands causes me to walk closer. This works like magic and the crowd parts. Singling the offender out from the group I walk up to him.
"If you apologize, we can forget this happened and move on."
"I didn't say anything," The male mumbles
"Certainly seems like you did," I counter and move closer.
"I'm sorry that I insulted your mother!" He whimpers as I bear down on him. A wisp of something flits out of his ear and dissolves.
Backing away with my eye on him, I file that strange occurrence away, "Now get to your classes, I would hate for you to be late," I say with a nod.
Turning my back, I swish my tail and walk to the classroom.
After the remaining two classes, the three of us are again walking to the gymnasium. Splitting up, Luke and I go to the locker room to put on uniforms.
Walking out of the locker room together, Luke goes to grab his jacket for the outside class today. It's mid-January, with a cold outside that makes jackets a requirement. Despite having a complete coat, I still get a bit chilly in these winter months. Meadowbrook is in the North, so the cold winters are expected.
As we push through the doors, the spitfire gym coach is waiting in front of the lineup with her whistle. With a yelling explanation, she sends us off to do a warm-up lap around the track. I keep pace with Luke and we jog in silence for a spell.
Up ahead I notice Jenny jogging with her friends. She seems to be enjoying herself.
"Hey, Luke." I start.
He slows and looks over, "What is it?"
"Have you- never mind." I say as I realize the absurdity of what I was about to ask.
"Is something wrong, you feel a bit unnerved."
I look over and blink, that was a strange way of putting it. But he was right, the encounter was still bothering me nonetheless.
"I'll talk to you about it later, if you can either drop by or just call."
"Sure thing," Luke says with a grin, "Just have to finish a few Biochem papers for tomorrow."
Maybe I had decided to procrastinate, but talking to Luke later seemed to be a better idea. It could just be paranoia, but I wasn't sure things were going to get any more clear later.
Walking out of the front entrance, I wave goodbye to Luke and move to unlock my bike. Jenny walks out a few seconds later with some of her friends and walks over to the bike rack as well. Kicking off, I pedal down the sidewalk as Jenny catches up.
Our home is only a few minutes ride away, during this time, Jenny and I talk about how our respective days had gone. This, and the usual sibling banter. With a turn at an intersection, we pedal down the block to our house. A small single floor with an overhang that serves as a garage. The aforementioned "garage" is empty, either mother has a work trip, or another plausible outing.
With the complaint of bike brakes, we pull into the driveway and park our bikes in the garage. Fishing the key out of my pocket, I levitate it over to unlock the door for Jenny. A look from her gives me a smile. The door creaking notifies me of Jenny slipping inside. I jog after her and slip inside before the door closes.
The lack of bags at the door signifies a work trip. A buzz from my phone then confirms that. Slinging my backpack off of my shoulder, I slump down into the old couch and sigh.
Jenny looks at me as she walks in after, "What time do you think mother will be back?"
"Eh, probably tomorrow evening, we should make some dinner after homework. Whatever suits your fancy." I say after taking a look at the message.
I have to go on an unexpected work trip, sorry for the unannounced leave. Dinner's in the fridge for the weekend, feel free to prepare yourselves anything (that still is healthy). I should be home in a few days, hope to see you two then! :)
Footsteps echoing from the hallway show that Jenny had left to go get an early start on her homework.
I'd might as well finish that now rather than later... My train of thought trails off as I rise with my backpack enveloped in a turquoise aura. A short walk down the hallway brings me to my bedroom door. I pause before walking in when a knock comes from the front door.
"Did you invite anyone over Jenny?" I call down the hall. Luke normally drives home and lives a good ways away.
"Not that I remember, go check who it is." A muffled call from down the hall.
Rolling my eyes, I walk back to the door and pull back the deadbolt. With a twist, I open the door and am greeted by a cheerful voice.
"Hi! Are you the one with pony as a mo-" Her sentence is interrupted by my slamming the door with a grunt.
As I am about to walk away from the door, a call gives me a pause, "I'm sorry! I should have worded that better, I think I need your help."
With a sigh, I turn around and open the door. Nothing prepared me for who stood on the porch. Where I had expected a female of about my age stood somebody- no somebirdy just like me. Wings splayed to the sides, she was smiling politely as I struggled for words.
"He-Her-Hello errr... C-come in," I trail off as I look up.
A head of white feathers, light yellow irises and a shy expression. She appears to have had a griffon as a parent where I had a pony. A bag hangs over her shoulder, appearing to be stuffed with clothes. I notice that her hands are more talon-like, with a scaly appearance and hooked nails. Torn fi gloves, a dark hooded sweatshirt, and clothes that have marks of grass stains and dirt. It looks as though she had come a long way. Walking past me and taking a seat, I close the door behind her and do a late double take.
"Erm... Sorry for the rude response, I'm a bit sore when people lead with that." I find a seat across from her and slump into it.
"No worries! I should have led with my request. My name is Grace, what's yours?"
"Wintergreen, but you can call me Winter. To be blunt, how did you find me?" I implore as I sweep my hair out of my eyes self-consciously.
"It took a little fence-snipping and probing, but I found a log of everycreature to come through the portal. As for why I came to you, that was on the part of the dreams."
"Wait, so you mean that there are more of us out there?" I trail off as I realize my incomplete consideration of that aspect.
"There are!" Grace continues, "From Changelings to Hippogriffs and more!" She seems rather bubbly a this point, her beak split by a genuine smile.
At that moment, Jenny walks in. She had most likely caught the tail-end of the previous sentence, walking in to observe.
With one foot in the threshold, her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates as she sputters, "Gr-Griffon? Wh-who-what?"
Grace rises to introduce herself, holding out a talon, "Hi, you must be Jennifer, pleased to meet you!"
Something shifts in Jenny's expression and she looks at Grace like one would look at a puppy, "You're ADORABLE!" She squees as she rushes forwards to hug Grace.
Startled by this, the victim of the hug lets out a squawk in surprise. Flapping her wings to stay upright, Grace gently untangles herself from Jenny's attack.
Jenny gives a sheepish look and blushes slightly, "Sorry, I'm just a bit surprised is all. I never knew that Griffons could be so fluffy!"
I make a noise of protest as Grace laughs in response, "Don't worry, I get that a lot. I was talking to Winter here about why I have been looking for him."
Levitating a coaster into an orbit around my hand I look over, "I'm still trying to make sense of why you would be led to me. I don't think I would be as much of an asset as any other creature."
With a reassuring smile she shakes her head, "I don't think you heard me when I said this, I was guided to you specifically. I think this makes you important."
I ponder her statement, "How exactly did these directions manifest?"
"Whenever I was lost, a clue would pop up and guide me in the right direction. That and I did some searching through records." Grace confirms my thoughts on how she found us.
"I was wondering ho- Wait, how far have you traveled to get here?" The realization of the bag she had been carrying and her disheveled bridged the gaps in her origin.
"Ah, about that... I had to come from a few states over, nothing was keeping me in one place." A frown crosses her beak before she smiles, "Actually, now that I've found you, I think I know what to do next!"
Raising my hands in an attempt to slow down the conversation, Jenny jumps in, "If you need anywhere to stay, feel free to stay with us! I'm sure Winter would be fine with that!" With the mention of me, she shoots a look in my direction.
I wither a bit under Jenny's glare and agree, "Sure, just as long as it wouldn't be too much trouble?"
"No problem! I'll sleep on the couch if necessary."
With a nod I stand and look over, "Make yourself at home, dinner should be around six-ish. I have some schoolwork to do, feel free to yell if anything is needed."
Slipping my backpack over one shoulder, I turn and walk into my room. Closing the door, I hear conversation and relax slightly.
Should I have let a complete stranger into my house? My conscious pipes up, Equestrian or no, she still could be dangerous. Beating those thoughts away with logic, I drop by backpack and shuffle over to my desk.
Our teachers, being merciless as they are, pile the homework for the weekends to the ceiling. With a sigh, I open my laptop and begin.
A look at my bedside clock shows me that dinnertime has almost come, the sounds of Grace showering had murmured through the wall a little ways into my work. Closing my laptop, I spin my chair around and rise with a jump. Jenny talking to a friend echoes from her room as I walk down the hallway.
Looking to see a shape that is presumably Grace in the low light, I walk into the living room. Her head is hunched over and buried in one of her wings. I notice feathers scattered about on the couch as I walk around and make a noise.
Grace looks up and smiles, "Hello Winter, will dinner will be ready soon? I am starting to feel a bit peckish, no pun intended."
I let out a good-natured snort and nod, "Sure will be," Looking at the feathers, a question comes to mind, "Are you able to fly with your wings?"
With a half-lidded look, Grace responds in a sarcastic tone, "Are you able to do magic with your horn?"
I blink, "Point taken."
With a laugh, Grace bends over and deftly pulls a damaged feather from the bunch. Dropping it in a loose pile, she looks up once again and smiles, "Thanks for letting me stay here, it's been far too long since I've had a proper shower and sleep."
I return the smile and blush slightly, "No problem, I hope that you feel at home here. If anything, thank you for introducing me to the possibility of there being more of us out there."
Grace nods and seems to be trying to recall something as I move into the kitchen. Reaching out with my mind and magic , I open cabinets, drawers, and the refrigerator. By a nonchalant twitch of my brain, I gather ingredients and bowls for a decent dinner.
Mother had seen fit to teach me how to prepare vegetarian and many other meals for anyone. I sure had a knack for cooking, but it wasn't cutie-mark talent worthy. I was still waiting for that one magical day when the mark would appear. Tofu levitates itself into a pan as the burner ignites. My snout wrinkles as some beef patties float past and are shaped in the second pan.
The sound of Jenny's door opening catches my attention as a bag of rolls drift onto the counter. Out walks my beflanneled
sister with her hair in front of her face. An eye looks out from the veil, then another, and then Jenny's face is revealed as she yawns.
"Dinner should be ready soon, could you set the table?"
Jenny nods and walks over to the living room. I hear muted conversation shortly afterwards.
A spatula floats out of a drawer behind me and moves to flip the beef patties. The tofu had almost started to finish by the smell. Floating the pan to the back burner, I turn off the coil and float dishes out of the cabinet.
A few minutes later and dinner is ready and on the small table. We were all sitting around small folding table from the last house. Grace seemed have enjoyed her meal, gobbling it up in the way only a griffon could. Jenny had picked at her food and finally eaten it out of hunger. I had polished off most of my burger and was awkwardly waiting for someone to begin a conversation.
It was Jenny who saved the pitfall of a dinner conversation. "How long are you planning to stay?" She inquires.
Grace looks up from her food. "I wasn't really sure how long, I hoped that something would happen arrived."
"That seems somewhat reassuring." I snark.
Jenny gives me a pointed look as Grace continues, "I guess I will stay for a few days longer and see what happens."
I nod in agreement and look over to Jenny. "I'll get the dishes if you want to head over to the living room."
We both rise at the same time as Grace follows. I move into the kitchen and she walks up next to me.
"Would you like any help with cleaning up? You have been welcoming after all."
"Sure, if you can wash then I will dry," I say as I move to the side.
A few minutes later the dishes from dinner are clean and squared away. We had migrated to the living room to watch the evening news and relax. Jenny had gone off to either draw or listen to music. I remained an was moving towards the tired side as well. After a lull in the news, I get up and say goodnight to Grace. Shuffling over to my room, I slip in the doorway and close the door. Homework can wait for now, I have no clue what tomorrow will hold.
Opening another door, I move to the connected bathroom. Surprisingly enough, I was quite the stickler for hygiene. Having a full coat of fur was probably the cause. Anything sticky would be painful to wash out.
Bending over the sink, I scoop some water and rinse my face. I rise and look in the mirror, a flash of light- likely a passing car- flares in the window. Grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste, I turn around and run into... myself?
I blink and do a double take. Standing before me was a copy of myself. Down to the facial expression. We both back away and I manage to form words. "Who- What are you?"
My reflection just blinks in return and stares. It opens its mouth and seems to be debating something. The surreal feeling of this leaves me still unable to form words. Green flames engulf its body as a strange creature stands before me. A chitinous covering over the chest and arms pockmarked with holes. Blue eyes glow from beneath the sickly teal hair that hangs over the horn. This must be the changelings that mother had told me about in stories of her home.
It opens its mouth again and I am suddenly aware of the fangs standing very prominently in the foreground. I stumble back unconsciously as it closes its mouth. A hurt expression crosses its features as I right myself.
"I won't hurt you, don't worry." It says with a hiss.
I mumble some sort of agreement as it moves closer. Holding out a hand, it nods.
"Nice to finally meet you Minty. Do you still want to talk?"
I sputter and blink. "Luke?"
Author's Note
My first standalone story. I hope you have enjoyed this pilot chapter. A fitting cliffhanger should keep anyone who enjoyed this craving more. My goal in any story I write is to give people a memorable experience or new ideas about the world. I hope that this story will do just that.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you have enjoyed! Feedback is always appreciated.
Best wishes.
-Melodiac
